Bulgarian Ambassador in Belgrade Hands Note of Protest to Serbian Foreign Ministry over Desecration of Bulgarian Monument Near Nis

Bulgarian Ambassador in Belgrade Hands Note of Protest to Serbian Foreign Ministry over Desecration of Bulgarian Monument Near Nis

Sofia, September 20 (BTA) - Acting on orders of Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgaria's Ambassador in Belgrade Radko Vlaykov has handed a protest note to Serbia's Foreign Ministry over the desecration of the Ledena Stena military monument and ossuary near the Serbian city of Nis, containing the remains of 2,015 Bulgarian soldiers fallen for Yugoslavia's liberation in the final stages of WWII, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry reported Thursday.

The protest note, handed by the Bulgarian diplomat, demands specific actions to immediately fix the damage caused to the Monument, to find the offenders responsible for the desecration and hold them accountable for their actions under Serbian law, as well as the official Serbian authorities to dissociate themselves from such acts of vandalism.

During his visit to the Serbian Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Vlaykov has expressed the Bulgarian side's deep conviction that the encroachment on the military monument is incongruous with the excellent climate of bilateral relations and Serbian President Alexander Vucic's personal commitment to their development.

The Bulgarian Ambassador has expressed concern over the fact that the monument's desecration revives hate speech and instills fear on the eve of the elections of national councils of the national minorities in Serbia, scheduled for November 4, 2018, including a national council of the Bulgarian national minority.

The Serbian Foreign Ministry has expressed regret over the monument's desecration, stressing that this act of vandalism is unacceptable and in dissonance with the excellent relations between the two countries. A clear commitment was made by the Serbian side to immediately and carefully examine the case and react promptly, the press release said. LI/MY /ДЛ/